The never-ending League Restructure debate (Many merged threads)

As the RFL have now given green light to one of two options , could someone clarify a few points if they know the answers

Option 1 S/L and Championship both to be 12 clubs with P and R

1 How will the top 12 be decided , will it be the top 12 from S/L 2014 or will all teams have to apply for a licence giving possible hope to Toulouse,and the likes of Fev,fax,sheff and leigh and teams finishing 13th and 14th in S/L, of an automatic place

2 The following year im assuming that bottom of S/L will be relegated or will it be two spots

3 Who will replace this team (S) - will it be the regular championship winners or G Final winners - or if two teams then both

4 Will there be a minimum criteria to be met for promotion and what if its not ? would that result in no relegation that year or the next highest team getting the place and will that criteria be set out prior to the season commencing

5 Regarding Toulouse inclusion , do we assume that if they bring a substantial financial imput/media exposure ,into the game they will be given an elusive top 12 place and failure to do so will result in an offer of a championship place only

6 Repeat of question 1 in relation to the championship and plans for the lowest level (s)

7 Will there be any exemption of relegation for the likes of London,Catalans or any future "expansion" teams

Option 2 S/L and Championship both to be 12 clubs with a mid season split to 3X8

1 Again same question as Question 1 in option 1

2 After the mid season split , how will the S/L 12 be decided for the following year

A - top tier plus top 4 from tier 2

B - top tier plus 4 successful applicants from tier 2 with criteria again having to be met

3 Will this option end the play offs as we know them , surely what we have done is create an extended play off , and who is going to be crowned champions IE the main season winners or the split winners , or is there plans to maybe have a play off if there is two seperate winners to establish the current champions

and a couple of questions for both options

1 Are there any more plans for discussion before the preferred option is announced

2 Do we know when that announcement is likely to be made

Short answer is: no-one knows. Including the RFL.

"Just as we had been Cathars, we were treizistes, men apart."
Jean Roque, Calendrier-revue du Racing-Club Albigeois, 1958-1959

when these teams joined the comp, especially the new ones they will have budgeted for transport costs, or maybe they all even recieve a subsidy-money well spent.

I think the clubs, again expecially the new ones will have been aware of what their attendances would be-and I think they do remarkably well in their first campaign.

Yeah but bums on seats is what clubs need and lower transportation costs. Potentially we could have a couple of Cumbrian sides in CC1 at some point. Not good either for the south or Cumbria. Too much spent on fuel and too much travelling for players who are paid very little.

If Skolars vs Hemel is a bigger drawcard than Skolars vs Rochdale then we should think about how we can get the likes of St Albans and Medway into the league within the next 5 years.

I like Rod Studd, he runs a fast paced show something B n A isn't.He likes P & R although it has failed before and will again as Rod well knows.What isn't mentioned is that clubs voted to go from 12 to 14 as there weren't enough home games with just 11. What they will gain with extra central funding theyr will lose in gate receipts.Those at the bottom end of the SL will look to recruit mature NRL journeymen who will cost a fortune in the hope they will keep the club up.Thought they made a good point about the Magic weekend saying it has no place in a League with P & R.Noting London v Catalan and Salford V Widnes.The Magic needs to be transferred to the C Cup and be the round in which the SL clubs join the comp.Start the C Cup Spring Bank Holday and end August Bank Holiday as now.

I like Rod Studd, he runs a fast paced show something B n A isn't.
He likes P & R although it has failed before and will again as Rod well knows.
What isn't mentioned is that clubs voted to go from 12 to 14 as there weren't enough home games with just 11. What they will gain with extra central funding theyr will lose in gate receipts.
Those at the bottom end of the SL will look to recruit mature NRL journeymen who will cost a fortune in the hope they will keep the club up.
Thought they made a good point about the Magic weekend saying it has no place in a League with P & R.
Noting London v Catalan and Salford V Widnes.
The Magic needs to be transferred to the C Cup and be the round in which the SL clubs join the comp.
Start the C Cup Spring Bank Holday and end August Bank Holiday as now.

Even when there were 12 teams in the league they still had 14 home games because of repeat fixtures.

'We need a change to allow our top clubs to remain internationally competitive.'

'Some clubs haven't had the impact they should of had with the 5 year protection they've had and haven't made the progress we would of liked.'

At least he highlights two of the main issues in the game, our clubs being left behind and a lot of clubs not progressing.

I still agree with the two tens Ken Davey proposed with more cup competitions.

I'm starting to see where the RFL is going with this its not about enlarging SL it will effectively reduce SL to eight teams. Behind that though there will be another 8 teams who can step in if one of the 8 over stretch themselves and go bust.

'We need a change to allow our top clubs to remain internationally competitive.'

'Some clubs haven't had the impact they should of had with the 5 year protection they've had and haven't made the progress we would of liked.'

At least he highlights two of the main issues in the game, our clubs being left behind and a lot of clubs not progressing.

I still agree with the two tens Ken Davey proposed with more cup competitions.

But he seemed to rule out that the bottom two will automatically be dropped at the end of next season, saying the main criteria will be results on the field, but other factors need to be considered also. can see this being sorted in the courts.

Watched Super League Back Chat and there isn't a week that goes by where Rod Studd isn't pushing P & R, and irritatingly shouts down anyone that dares disagree with him.

Is there a chance we could get a journalist on this show that actually knows what the hell they are talking about?

I would also appreciate it if they stopped saying that all of the fans want it back because that isn't the case. I know just as many who are against that are for.

Memo to Rod Studd and the other so called journalists on BackChat:

Promotion & Relegation is a british sporting tradition, but so is losing.

Why can't we just stick to one thing for a few years without chopping and changing?

Haven't you worked it out yet?

Our broadcast partner and main benefactor, Sky want it. He who pays the piper calls the tune etc. Rod Studd is merely their mouthpiece.

Chris Irvine delivered the line of the night though "Licensing is Boring" - Genius and so very true. I think that too many people have forgotten that we are part of the entertainment industry and should try not to be boring.

I've never met anyone against P&R. It just a small vocal minority on here

Usually from suppoters of teams that would be threatened with relegation. the most constant form of criticism I hear from non rugby league sports fans to me is that the of the lack of P&R makes it a joke and what's the point of the leagues below super league.

I'm starting to see where the RFL is going with this its not about enlarging SL it will effectively reduce SL to eight teams. Behind that though there will be another 8 teams who can step in if one of the 8 over stretch themselves and go bust.

Glad the penny has dropped. Aside from Sheffield the aspiring clubs below super league don't seem to have grasped this yet.

I agree with the earlier poster too; Davy's two tens + more cup fixtures has a lot of merit and should've been properly discussed.

It just proved that Wood is desperate to push through his latest crackpot schemes. How many of these stupid ideas does wood get to push through before he falls on his sword?

I'm starting to see where the RFL is going with this its not about enlarging SL it will effectively reduce SL to eight teams. Behind that though there will be another 8 teams who can step in if one of the 8 over stretch themselves and go bust.

This is it for me. Hard to miss though unless you ignore the differences between 15,000 crowds and 800 crowds, fully professional teams with stars and dual reg bolstered semi pro teams, or chairmen worth tens of millions against chairmen with nowt to put in.

Glad the penny has dropped. Aside from Sheffield the aspiring clubs below super league don't seem to have grasped this yet.

I agree with the earlier poster too; Davy's two tens + more cup fixtures has a lot of merit and should've been properly discussed.

It just proved that Wood is desperate to push through his latest crackpot schemes. How many of these stupid ideas does wood get to push through before he falls on his sword?

I'd love to know what Wood meant by internationally competitive as well? Only one team a season plays a game outside of the SL season so don't understand the comment. If he is referring to keeping hold of players, then it won't make a blind bit of difference considering the clubs can't afford to compete against a salry cap double our own in Australia.

I'd love to know what Wood meant by internationally competitive as well? Only one team a season plays a game outside of the SL season so don't understand the comment. If he is referring to keeping hold of players, then it won't make a blind bit of difference considering the clubs can't afford to compete against a salry cap double our own in Australia.

He's looking increasingly out of his depth in my opinion.

His one 'significant achievement' since assuming the mantle of leadership has been to completely divert any attention that could and should have been placed on the forthcoming World Cup.